🔥 Buy 5-Pack 🔥

Unlit Impressions

Everything about the packaging on this cigar appeals to me, and as a graphic design degree holder, I appreciate all of the clever incorporations of various subtle design cues. American and Cuban flag fusions, tapered band lines, bar code barrel sleeves that read "POST EMBARGO" in all caps when flipped sideways... every millimeter of real estate is right on the money with this one.

Equally on point are the aromatics down the wrapper, which may not be the crispiest criollo, but neither is it the fugliest either. Stallone-grade veins bulging forth, with a sharp seam threatening to slice the thumbpad, I venture a sniff of the virtually oil-free outer leaf. Soil and a mixture of green and black tea, touches of sandalwood, and the slightest waft of Honduran funk create a subdued mixture of smells. 

Stronger by a yard, the foot files in with criollo at the forefront, followed by some corojo spice and citrus peel, raw sugarcane, and a mixture of light and dark fermented tobacco leaf. Interestingly, there is very little funkiness to this side of the cigar, nor any sign of spiciness either, which is odd considering this is what both tobacco strains inside are known for offering.

Funk does arrive when the B15 is cold drawn, though, with medium-grade earthiness, musty manuscripts, and a faint turbinado taste complete with the caramel sweetness that comes with the unrefined sugar. Unexpectedly tame, I realize that any form of spiciness is still undetectable, and I am struggling to taste the layers of corojo leaf inside. 

Initial Smoke

Copying cold draws, ignition serves you with an herbal and earthy appetizer that is finished with a mild mixed tea spice taste, a lump of licorice, and a medium-grade leathery retrohale. Not bad, and not peppery at all either, which after smoking four sticks of this blend still surprises me. 

1st Half

The first half more than makes up for the lackluster start to this stick with plenty of herbal overtones, and a slap of mid-grade sweetness that mirrors an old school Ricola cough drop. There's also a funky fermented fruitiness in there somewhere, accentuated by a tannin-rich touch that makes me think of the first taste you get off a tawny port. 

Medium in both body and strength, with flavor a few clicks overhead, the faintest flit of corojo pepper, black tea, and citrus starts to show itself after a while. The corojo tea tastes continue to climb the closer you get to the center of the cigar, and with them come scraps of leather, black and white pepper, and a lengthier finish that is both sweet and meaty.  

2nd Half

Potency picks up the pace with plenty of gas in the tank to spare right around the middle of the stubby stogie, with darker soil flavors and ripened berries being the main entrée. Retrohales have also grown more robust, and with the sensual smell of sweaty leather pants puncturing the gloom, it becomes abundantly clear that criollo is still in charge.

With thin strips of paper and cardboard joining the last third profile juicy jaunt toward parting puffs, a clear picture is painted, where citrus, spice, and body ride in the backseat of a lead sled powered by Honduran heft. This mixture of light and dark tobacco, combined with the earthy, organic tastes of corojo and criollo leaf combined makes for a medium-plus grade of smoke that is very enjoyable.

Parting Puffs

Malted barley and mixed seed wholegrain bread prepare the senses for a shift into the last stage of the cigar. Jamaican pot still rum funk pops out of nowhere, and apparently it has found a new purpose in life. It has donned a mask and cape, and now moonlights as a tobacco vigilante with corojo spice as its sidekick. These sweet and spicy tastes, and the syrupy distilled sugarcane strength, play off one another nicely. So with a final flurry of candied dried fruits touching the tongue, I know that it is time to extinguish the last of the nub.  

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

A great burn, with nary a torch relight or touch-up needed, will always earn extra construction points here at Klaro. What won't rank well is when you have to do a double-puff each time to get the smoke rolling, and a prematurely dropped ash is always an annoyance. Both of which this cigar showed signs of, especially at the start.

Furthermore, I found that smoke production tapered off a good bit further down the barrel. One one hand, this made the mouthfeel of the cigar feel lighter; but it also prevented me from fully experiencing all that this blend's second half has to offer, both in body and texture, but also in taste. 

Final Thoughts 

From a marketing standpoint, I feel that the packaging for the box on the Post Embargo Blend Code B15 should read, "Medium-grade soil satisfaction guaranteed." For that is truly the first and most consistent cigar flavor profile detected in this smoke. The sweet aftertaste of the blend is also right on when it strikes, as is the fruitiness and unexpected addition of Jamaican pot-still rum further down. But this can be inconsistent at times, and varies in delivery from stick-to-stick.

Would I consider the B15 to be one of the greatest combinations of criollo and corojo leaf in the history of cigar making? Not at the moment. It's interesting for sure, and I really love the playful banding, pigtail cap, and double binder approach. However, despite having a few unexpectedly tasty surprises along the way, some really smooth smoke, and a great burn, the complexity of the cigar still sits on the lower end of exciting.

That does not mean that I plan on halting my recommendation of this blend to medium-bodied, earthy cigar enthusiasts though. In fact, I feel that this blend deserves a lot more recognition than it has gotten since its debut, and the best way to do that is to smoke it for yourself and see if it is worth suggesting to another fellow stogie smoker. 

Stogie Specs